Cereal Supply Research Articles

Evaluation of Susceptibility of Some Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) to Stem Borers in Far North Region of Cameroon: A Case of Off Season Local Varieties

Introduction: Among cereals, Sorghum is the most consumed as food in the Far North of Cameroon. Muskuwari, which is an off season sorghum, plays a key role in the regulation of its availability. On the other hand, stem borers (Sesamia cretica Lederer) constitute a major constraint, compromise its yield and reduce cereal supply. Despite this fact, ecological control measures to reduce losses are still little known.
 Objective: The present research aimed at evaluating the susceptibility of ten local varieties of Muskuwari against Lepidoptera stem borers in natural conditions.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted during the 2012 and 2013 agricultural campaign at Ngassa, a locality of Maroua.
 Methodology: Experimentation was carried out in a Completely Randomized Block design with tree replications. Ten local varieties were then under natural infestations. Degrees of infestation were estimated by visual observation and destructive methods. Each year, Seed losses in term of percentage of total harvest loosed, were estimated from 30 ears per variety randomly selected from infested and uninfected plants.
 Results: The results showed a large variation in agronomic performance depending on the parameters considered. Mandouéri, Bourgouri, Tchangalari and Soukatari with infestation rates ranging from 4% to 11% and seed losses ranging from 0.96% to 23.42% are more tolerant or less susceptible than other varieties while Safra’s varieties are always the most susceptible to stem borers with over to 40% seed loss.
 Conclusion: The study showed there are resistant or tolerant varieties of Muskuwari able to cope with the attacks of stem borers not exploited to mitigate damages. Degree of infestation, seed loss, number of caterpillars and gallery length per plant are suitable parameters for varietal screening of stem borer resistance. Since varietal resistance is an ecological and easily adoptable option, investigations that could lead to Muskuwari varietal improvement could boost cereal supplly in the Far North Region of Cameroon.

ДЕНЕЖНАЯ ИНФЛЯЦИЯ И ХЛЕБНЫЕ ПОСТАВКИ В СОБЫТИЯХ ОКТЯБРЯ 1917 ГОДА В РОССИИ (НА МАТЕРИАЛАХ ПЕТЕРБУРГСКОЙ И МОСКОВСКОЙ ГУБЕРНИЙ)

The article analyses the interaction of inflation processes in the Russian Empire in the period from 1913 to October 1917 and the collapse of cereal supply in Moscow and Petersburg provinces before and during the unfolding revolutionary events. The correlation analysis indicates strong inverse relation between these processes, where inflation was a primary cause and shortage of bread - a resultant one. Relying on official statistical data the authors for the first time prove that undersupply of cereal was caused by devaluation of currency (by 96% in Petrograd and by 93% in Moscow).

Trends of Food Supply and Nutrient Intake in South Korea Over the Past 30 Years

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate food supply and consumption trends in South Korea over the past 30 years (1980 to 2010). Methods: We used time series data on Food Balance Sheets of Korea and the National Health and Nutrition Survey from Korea Statistics. Regression analysis was performed for trends of food supply and demand, and t-test for the gender difference in nutrient intake. Results: The annual supply of cereals, rice and starch roots per person has decreased, while that of meat, fish and shellfish, eggs, milk, and fats and oils has increased (p < 0.05), respectively. These changes effect on nutrient intake: rice consumption has declined to one-third of total energy intake, however, the energy intake from lipid sources has increased up to 20% in the 2000s.The nutrient intake levels are mostly sufficient to meet the recommended intake, but calcium intake is below the recommended level and sodium is three times above the recommended level. These problems are found in both genders, and males take in more calories and sodium than females (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These changes in food consumption and supply resulted in lowering both quantities based food self-sufficiency rate and self-sufficiency of nutrition supply. It is therefore suggested that the supply of agricultural products should be stable and quality competitiveness in supply should be improved. Also, measures and strategies in promoting rice consumption are required, such as promoting healthy diet via nutrition education and disseminating healthy traditional Korean food.

Pre-harvest measures against Fusarium spp. infection and related mycotoxins implemented by Dutch wheat farmers

Fusarium spp. are one of the most widespread mycotoxin-producing fungi in small-grain cereals like wheat. Their rate of infection and production of mycotoxins is mainly influenced by weather and pre-harvest agronomic measures. Consequently, farmers' prevention and control of mycotoxins are imperative since it is difficult to remove mycotoxins further down the cereal supply chain. This study aimed to (i) identify which pre-harvest preventive and control measures Dutch wheat farmers currently apply against Fusarium spp. infection and mycotoxin contamination and to (ii) examine which farm and farmer characteristics explain the implementation of these measures. Field data on pre-harvest measures, like the selection of resistant varieties, fungicide use, and crop rotation, along with farm and farmer characteristics were collected from Dutch wheat farmers via an online questionnaire. Probit models were applied to examine farm and farmer characteristics that explain the implementation of pre-harvest measures. Results showed that most farmers applied six or more different measures against Fusarium spp. infection and mycotoxin contamination in wheat and that the use of pre-harvest measures is related to at least one other measure. However, results indicated that about 44% of farmers could become more effective if they implemented a benchmark approach consisting of a combination of fungicide use during flowering, selection of a Fusarium resistant wheat variety, and plowing or crop rotation. Five out of the ten evaluated farm and farmer characteristics significantly (p < 0.05) explained the implementation of at least one of the eight pre-harvest control measures. These five farm and farmer characteristics include wheat as main income crop, the use of a decision support system, the education level of the farmer, the farmer's knowledge about mycotoxins, and the farmer's level of risk aversion. Insight into relevant characteristics can be used by farmer cooperatives, processing industries and government agencies to improve the overall mycotoxin management of wheat farmers.

Long-term crop productivity response and its interaction with cereal markets and energy prices

Crop yields are endogenous as long as economic agents adjust to permanent changes in expected prices. The literature, however, does not offer a definitive value of how much yield would change in response to sustained price changes. To fill the gap, we use available scientific findings and data to estimate yield elasticities that enable agricultural commodity and food policy analysis. Using a world market model with short- to long-run yield response, we show the impacts of sustained energy price shocks on global cereal supply and demand. The results highlight substantial differences in quantity and price effects depending on the yield elasticities. These results demonstrate the need to recognize yield response when assessing impacts of energy prices or biofuel production on food uses or, more generally, on food security in the face of income and population growth, evolving dietary patterns, climate change implications, or other long-run pressures.

Alimentar la red urbana: las villas y ciudades portuarias del Algarve y el abastecimiento cerealista a finales de la Edad Media

In Portugal, famines, food crises and the cereal supply of the medieval towns represent a rich and promising field of studies, which is still little explored, in spite of the pioneering works of some historians. Thus, this work aims to contribute to know the capacity of Algarve port towns to respond to cereal crises and ensure the supply of this product. In this sense, I will present the first results of the research on the cereal crises suffered by Algarve port towns; the strategies that the municipal governments used to solve this problem, and, finally, reflect on its effects and the degree of success of its policies.

Cereal supply chain waste in the context of circular economy

Taking into consideration the circular economy context, from cereal production and processing result by-products and residues which can be transformed into the new raw materials. Straw, husks, brans, flours, bread waste, confectionary waste, so on, can be re-used using different processes such as: extraction, fermentation, microorganism cultivation, for obtaining added value products. These new products obtained can be: biofuels, enzymes, biodegradable material food contact, single cell protein, bio-adsorbent, nanoparticles, bio alcohol, bioactive compounds like fibres, phytochemicals, minerals, so on. This paper is a short review regarding sharing knowledge and good practices in implementing circular economy within food systems, specifically, cereal supply chain.

Recent Advances in Physical Post-Harvest Treatments for Shelf-Life Extension of Cereal Crops.

As a result of the rapidly growing global population and limited agricultural area, sufficient supply of cereals for food and animal feed has become increasingly challenging. Consequently, it is essential to reduce pre- and post-harvest crop losses. Extensive research, featuring several physical treatments, has been conducted to improve cereal post-harvest preservation, leading to increased food safety and sustainability. Various pests can lead to post-harvest losses and grain quality deterioration. Microbial spoilage due to filamentous fungi and bacteria is one of the main reasons for post-harvest crop losses and mycotoxins can induce additional consumer health hazards. In particular, physical treatments have gained popularity making chemical additives unnecessary. Therefore, this review focuses on recent advances in physical treatments with potential applications for microbial post-harvest decontamination of cereals. The treatments discussed in this article were evaluated for their ability to inhibit spoilage microorganisms and degrade mycotoxins without compromising the grain quality. All treatments evaluated in this review have the potential to inhibit grain spoilage microorganisms. However, each method has some drawbacks, making industrial application difficult. Even under optimal processing conditions, it is unlikely that cereals can be decontaminated of all naturally occurring spoilage organisms with a single treatment. Therefore, future research should aim for the development of a combination of treatments to harness their synergistic properties and avoid grain quality deterioration. For the degradation of mycotoxins the same conclusion can be drawn. In addition, future research must investigate the fate of degraded toxins, to assess the toxicity of their respective degradation products.

Infection conditions of Fusarium graminearum in barley are variety specific and different from those in wheat

Fusarium head blight is one of the most noxious cereal diseases. Worldwide, F. graminearum (FG) and the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most dominant species/mycotoxin in barley and wheat. Barley is often produced as on farm feed and thus routine mycotoxin analyses similar to those of cereals for human consumption are not performed. Hence, an early prediction of mycotoxin levels is important for farmers to minimise the risk of contaminated feed but also of contaminated cereals entering the cereal supply chain. Therefore, climate chamber experiments with artificial FG infection of barley investigating the influence of different temperatures (10 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C) and durations (4 h, 8 h, 12 h) at 99% relative humidity were conducted to accumulate data to develop a forecasting system. An up to three times higher DON contamination in the 15 °C treatments for the feed barley variety Ascona was detected compared with the 10 °C and 20 °C treatments. For the malting barley variety Concerto, the prolonged humidity durations had a stronger effect under all tested temperatures and resulted in up to two times higher DON contaminations. In addition, field experiments where spore deposition during anthesis as well as disease incidence, fungal amount and mycotoxins were observed, showed that the overwintered straw treatment resulted, depending on the year, in a three times higher FG incidence and DON content compared with the control and freshly inoculated straw treatment.

Environmental Pressures Embodied in the French Cereals Supply Chain

SummaryFrance is the second largest exporter of cereals in the world. Although the cereal supply chain is an asset to the country's economy and employment, it is at the same time responsible for a number of pressures on the local and global environment including greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and stresses on water quality and quantity. This article aims at evaluating this situation from an environmental point of view by linking production occurring in French regions with consumption occurring in France and abroad. Based on previous work on material flow analysis, we use an absorbing Markov chain model to study the fate of French cereals and link worldwide consumption to environmental pressures along the supply chain, that is, induced by production, transformation, or transport. The model is based on physical supply and use tables and distinguishes between 21 industries, 22 products, 38 regions of various spatial resolution (22 French regions, ten countries, six continents), and four modes of transport. Energy use, GHG emissions, land use, use of pesticides, and blue water footprint are studied. Illustrative examples are given in order to demonstrate the versatility of the results produced, for instance: Where and in what form does local production end up? How do regions compare relative to their production and consumption footprints? These results are designed to be a first step toward scenario analysis for decision‐aiding that would also include socio‐economic indicators. Examples of such scenarios are discussed in the conclusion.

More uneven distributions overturn benefits of higher precipitation for crop yields

Climate change is expected to lead to more uneven temporal distributions of precipitation, but the impacts on human systems are little studied. Most existing, statistically based agricultural climate change impact projections only account for changes in total precipitation, ignoring its intra-seasonal distribution, and conclude that in places that will become wetter, agriculture will benefit. Here, an analysis of daily rainfall and crop yield data from across India (1970–2003), where a fifth of global cereal supply is produced, shows that decreases in the number of rainy days have robust negative impacts that are large enough to overturn the benefits of increased total precipitation for the yields of most major crops. As an illustration, the net, mid 21st century projection for rice production shifts from +2% to −11% when changes in distribution are also accounted for, independently of additional negative impacts of rising temperatures.

Environmental impacts of food supply and obesogenic severity worldwide

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the severity of obesogenic societies is associated with more significant environmental impacts, and whether these impacts are associated with the production, supply, and consumption of animal foods more so than with plant foods. Design/methodology/approach – This ecological study was based on analyses of available data regarding populations of countries throughout the world. The study analyzed indicators related to food production, food supply, the anthropometric traits of malnutrition, and ecological impacts. Data were analyzed via scatter plots and Pearson’s correlation. Findings – Food supply, when compared with food production, is more significantly associated with environmental impacts. Also, the supply of meats, when compared with the supply of cereals, has a stronger association with environmental impacts and obesogenic severity. Meat supply is strongly associated with the ecological footprint (r=0.782, p &lt; 0.001), with CO2 emissions (r=0.602, p &lt; 0.001), and with the water footprint (r=0.503, p &lt; 0.001). Thus, the average body mass index (BMI) of populations worldwide is strongly associated with environmental impacts considering the ecological footprint (r=0.559, p &lt; 0.001), and the CO2 emissions (r=0.460, p &lt; 0.001). Practical implications – Actions that are better aligned with worldwide urgencies related to obesogenic problems, food supply/consumption, and environmental issues are needed. This study provides a better understanding about environmental and obesogenic impacts associated with food supply. Originality/value – The originality is focussed on important evidence regarding environmental and obesogenic severity strongly associated with meat supply.

Downscaling material flow analysis: The case of the cereal supply chain in France

The spatial reconstruction of the production, trade, transformation and consumption flows of a specific material, can become an important decision-help tool for improving resource management and for studying environmental pressures from the producer's to the consumer's viewpoint. One of the obstacles preventing its actual use in the decision-making process is that building such studies at various geographical scales proves to be costly both in time and manpower. In this article, we propose a semi-automatic methodology to overcome this issue: we describe our multi-scalar model and its data-reconciliation component and apply it to cereal flows. Namely, using official databases (Insee, Agreste, FranceAgriMer, SitraM) as well as corporate sources, we reconstructed the supply chain flows of the 22 French regions as well as the flows of four nested territories: France, the Rhône-Alpes region, the Isère department and the territory of the SCoT of Grenoble. We display the results using Sankey diagrams and discuss the intervals of confidence of the model's outputs. We conclude on the perspectives of coupling this model with economic, social and environmental aspects that would provide key information to decision-makers.

Virtual groundwater transfers from overexploited aquifers in the United States

The High Plains, Mississippi Embayment, and Central Valley aquifer systems within the United States are currently being overexploited for irrigation water supplies. The unsustainable use of groundwater resources in all three aquifer systems intensified from 2000 to 2008, making it imperative that we understand the consumptive processes and forces of demand that are driving their depletion. To this end, we quantify and track agricultural virtual groundwater transfers from these overexploited aquifer systems to their final destination. Specifically, we determine which US metropolitan areas, US states, and international export destinations are currently the largest consumers of these critical aquifers. We draw upon US government data on agricultural production, irrigation, and domestic food flows, as well as modeled estimates of agricultural virtual water contents to quantify domestic transfers. Additionally, we use US port-level trade data to trace international exports from these aquifers. In 2007, virtual groundwater transfers from the High Plains, Mississippi Embayment, and Central Valley aquifer systems totaled 17.93 km(3), 9.18 km(3), and 6.81 km(3), respectively, which is comparable to the capacity of Lake Mead (35.7 km(3)), the largest surface reservoir in the United States. The vast majority (91%) of virtual groundwater transfers remains within the United States. Importantly, the cereals produced by these overexploited aquifers are critical to US food security (contributing 18.5% to domestic cereal supply). Notably, Japan relies upon cereals produced by these overexploited aquifers for 9.2% of its domestic cereal supply. These results highlight the need to understand the teleconnections between distant food demands and local agricultural water use.

Menú escolar de los centros de enseñanza secundaria de Madrid: conocimiento y cumplimiento de las recomendaciones del Sistema Nacional de Salud

ObjectiveTo establish the degree of knowledge and adherence to the Spanish National Health System recommendations on nutrition in schools in the Autonomous Community of Madrid. MethodsCross-sectional study of a random sample of 182 secondary schools from Madrid, during 2013-2014 school year. Information on the characteristics of the schools and the knowledge of the recommendations was collected by internet and telephone interviews, as well as a copy of the school menu. The average number of rations per week offered for each food item and the percentage of schools within the recommended range were calculated. The overall adherence was obtained as the mean of food items (0-12) within the range. Results65.5% of the schools were unaware of the national recommendations. The supply of rice, pasta, fish, eggs, salad and fruit was lower than recommended, whereas for meat, accompaniment and other desserts was higher. The percentage of schools within the range for each food item varied between 13% and 95%. The mean of overall adherence was 6.3, with no differences depending on whether the menu was prepared or not at schools or there was or not a person in charge of nutrition standards. ConclusionsThe degree of adherence to the recommendations was variable, being advised to increase the supply of cereals, eggs, fish, salad and fruit. Programs for dissemination and implementation of the recommendations, leaded by trained professionals, are required to improve the nutritional value of school menu.

The environmental impact of nutrition transition in three case study countries

This paper explores the environmental impacts of dietary changes consistent with the nutrition transition common in countries going through economic development, inferred from commodity supply data from FAOSTAT. Supply data for 1961 and 2011 from three case study countries which have undergone significant economic transition in recent decades (Brazil, China and India) were compared on a per-capita basis to avoid confounding issues of population growth. Brazil showed marked increases in beef and poultry meat supply (kcal) while in China poultry and pig meat showed marked increases, particularly for pig meat. Per-capita supply of fruit in Brazil and vegetables in China were higher than in Europe by 2011. Supply of vegetable oil increased in all three countries and this was the majority commodity traded, hence much of its impact would have been felt in country of origin. The increase in beef production in Brazil, attributed to changing diet (2001–2011), had the greatest impact on increased water use, although the increase in supply of pig meat in China and cereals in China and India (attributable to changing diets) also made major contributions. The increase in cereal supply in China and India had a major impact on phosphorus and nitrogen cycles, with beef having a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The increase in vegetable oils had a major impact through increasing land use. These findings highlight differential environmental impacts of the nutrition transition in different countries and emphasise the need to measure environmental impacts beyond those on GHGs.

Exploring agency, knowledge and power in an Australian bulk cereal supply chain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how information sharing practices influenced inter-firm relationships. This was done specifically in relation to bulk commodity supply chains, due to the pre-existing power asymmetries in the system. Design/methodology/approach – This research was conducted using an interpretivist, inductive approach. The intention was to gather a wide range of data and then explore the data to see which themes emerged, rather than focusing on collecting data relevant only to specific themes. Findings – The key findings of this research focused around the difference between creating situations of compliance or collaboration in a supply chain context. This suggests that by understanding the relationships that exist between organisations, those in procurement and supply chain management roles will be able to better understand and manage the nuances of their supplier relationships. Research limitations/implications – The study is focused on a supply network specifically configured to facilitate sourcing and distribution of bulk grain. As such the findings need to be understood within the constraints of this context. Practical implications – Reliance on coercive power in an institutional change process is shown in our study to create a situation of compliance rather than of collaboration. Reliance on a different type of power, such as referent power, would be more successful in creating a situation of collaboration. Social implications – The sourcing and distribution of bulk grain is fundamental to food distribution in a developed economy. Our study provides a set of propositions indicating where managers can focus to more effectively manage these flows. Originality/value – The definition of the “agent” also provided an interesting point of comparison. This research found that the ultimate definition of the “agent” changes and can be linked to the institutional differences in ownership within a supply chain. This suggests the potential to redefine the way that Agency theory is discussed. The notion that the “agent” is dynamic and is likely to be the “agent”, “caretaker” and more at the same time suggests the potential for the traditional definition of the agent to be challenged.

Impact of rainfall pattern on cereal market and food security in Sudan: Stochastic approach and CGE model

The paper aims at analysing the impact of the likely change in rainfall on food availability and access to food in Sudan. The empirical investigation is based on an integrated approach consisting of a stochastic method and CGE model. The former, related to the Monte Carlo analysis, provides the likely changes in rainfall patterns and their probability of occurrence based on historical data. These results are at the basis of the scenarios simulated in a standard CGE model augmented with a stochastic component. Achievements underline the negative impact on the two dimensions of food security taken into consideration, mainly due to a reduction in cereal supply, a marked cereal inflation pressure and income contraction; the greater negative effect on the poorest households; and a deterioration of the economic performance of the country. In this context, the paper stresses a strong interconnection among climate change and variability, poverty and food insecurity and thus the need for an integrated policy-making approach.

Feeding and cleaning the city: the role of the urban waterscape in provision and disposal in Vienna during the industrial transformation

This article presents an integrated socio-ecological perspective on the changing interrelations between Vienna’s “urban metabolism” and the river Danube during the industrial transformation in the nineteenth century. During this period of rapid urban population growth and industrial development, the amount of materials and energy used in the city as well as the corresponding outflows of wastes and emissions, that is, the size of urban metabolism, multiplied. These changes in urban metabolism had a profound effect on the relation between city and river. The paper explores the changing role of the Danube and its waterscape for urban supply and urban discharge in the period from 1800 to 1910. It presents quantitative information on urban resource supply and river transport and discusses the changing function of the river as a major transport route. It investigates urban discharge of waste water and the evolution of a sewer system and discusses how the changing waterscape was reflected in perception and discourse. We find that there was a qualitative change in the transport function of the river. While the river lost importance in the provision of the city with energy it remained crucial for the supply of cereals. Furthermore we observe a general shift from the significance of the river in supplying the city towards the river’s function for the disposal of waste.

Perspective: The evolving dimensions and perspectives on food security - what are the implications for postharvest technology research, policy and practice?

Food security is a difficult concept to define and complex challenge that has continued to haunt humanity despite remarkable progress in increasing global food production during the last century. Starting as a problem of deficit global supply (production) of cereals, especially in tropical countries, work led by United Nation agencies through the World Food Conference in 1974 and World Food Summit in 1996 led to the emergence of three main dimensions of food security: availability, access and utilisation. Improved understanding of the role of poverty, entitlement and deprivation at the household level and globalisation of the food system highlighted the importance of asset creation and volatility/stability of price and supply as importance elements of sustainable food security. Understanding the evolving dimensions and orientations of food security is important in developing integrated and sustainable measures to reduce it, including the role of nutrition-sensitive postharvest technologies in reducing wastage.